SewBaby News

I've been in a dress sewing mood lately, although I haven't had much time, so I've been trying to pick patterns that are simple and quick.  I've found that Vogue usually does this really, really well with their Very Easy Vogue pattern line.  This first dress is from Vogue 8645.  Their description: loose-fitting, pullover, lined dresses A, B have front and back v-neck, removable shoulder ties, side seam pockets and sash. The fabric I chose is a sheer silk cotton blend from Vera Wang, and I lined it with a very lightweight dark grey lining.  It feels scrumptiously lightweight- like wearing a butterfly.  And yes, it was Very Easy!  I will definitely be making this one again if the right sheer fabric comes along.  It does take quite a bit of fabric.  I had 3-1/2 yards of this fabric which was just enough, as it is a very full skirt.  I cut the hem right in between the two versions as my fabric wasn't quite wide enough to get the full length ...

For sewists, I think that sewing prom dresses is either the most fun that you can have, or the most intimidating.  You want everything to be just perfect for the big night which can be intimidating, but the fabrics and styles that you get to sew with are amazing.  This year, I made two dresses and had fun with both.  One for my daughter, and one for one of her good friends.  Luckily, both girls chose simple designs and I didn't have to do any significant alterations, so this was a fun year for sewing prom dresses. Choosing the pattern is half the battle.  My daughter likes simple and classic, and she ended up choosing one from the December 2008 Burda magazine- style 104 .  This is such a gorgeous yet simple style, that I think it would work for just about anyone.  The key to it is to find a beautiful fabric.  I had bought some Vera Wang Silk Satin from fabric.com when they had it on sale for $2/yard.  Unbelievable!  This should be $40...

My daughter, Serena, loves dresses, and she loves bright prints, so when I got this Paint Splash fabric in a Fabric Mart Mystery Bundle , I knew just who it was going to.  She wanted a shirtdress, and we searched through my pattern collection and found Simplicity 2996 .  We liked the princess lines, 3/4 sleeves with the petal cuff, and the inseam pockets.  It had the added bonus of being one of the multi-cup size pattern so that I didn't have to do a full bust adjustment.  Yay!  Overall the pattern is great, and I would highly recommend it. Here is a close-up of the petal cuff sleeves: And the in-seam pockets: And the back view: She only wore this a few times in the semester, because she said that it was so recognizable, she didn't feel like she could wear it more than once every couple of weeks.  I think she had a lot of fun with it, and so did her friends teasing her about it.  One said that he would like to take a pai...

I have been sewing for some very special occasions, and will eventually get pictures of prom dresses and graduation attire to post, but for now, I just had to share the garden again- just blooming it's heart out!  We're having a party this Saturday, so I hope that it will stay this picture perfect until the weekend!  Click on the Slide Show to see all 14 photos (it's quick, I promise).  If you click on the little symbol in the bottom right hand corner, it will enlarge to full screen.  Here are a few of my favorite shots: We started this garden from scratch 9 years ago, and I used to know every variety by name, but can't pull it out of my brain like I used to!  It's fun to watch things spread and grow.  Ann

We are happy to announce that you can now buy SewBaby patterns in Australia!  For those of you who live down under, www.theozmaterialgirls.com   and www.patternsonly.com are now carrying a large selection of our patterns on their website. Please give them a visit and check out their huge selection!  Ann

Choosing a winner for our Sweet 16 SewBaby anniversary contest was fun, but not easy!   After much deliberation, here are the winners: First Prize:  Charla McCaw for the McKenna Pattern by Bonnie Blue Designs for this fun birthday top and made the ruffle pants from the SewBaby Twirl Top and Pants pattern. Second Prize:  Julie Lundquist for Faith double-layered dress top from SewSensible (with appliqued pants with ruffled hem). Third Prize:   Kathy Hood for Izzy and Ivy Beverly Belle Top: Aren't these great?  We had over 50 fantastic entries. You can view all of the entries on our Facebook Sweet 16 Album .  Thank you so much to everyone that particpated!  Ann